How old is your vintage Leica?

[flashover]

My favourite cameras are all about my age.

Frank I haven't tried one of those glass plate cameras. How do they work.

 

[Kyle]

Frank I haven't tried one of those glass plate cameras. How do they work.

Below the belt! haha 😀

 

[raid]

I checked out the serial numbers at cameraquest.com, and this is what I have:

Leica I 1935 ************* Batch: 450
Leica IIIc 1949 15 years later Batch: 15000
Leica M3 1959 10 years later Batch: 3000
Leica M6 1997 38 years later Batch: 2000

The Leica I is 70 years old and it functions like a new camera.

Raid

 

[raid]

What is the difference between a Leica Standard and a Leica I ?
Ash's 1934 black Standard comes from a batch of 200 cameras whereas my
1935 black Leica I comes from a batch of 450 cameras. His camera has an external viewfinder whereas mine has no viewfinder and has two accessory holders.

Raid

 

[Ash]

Raid I think they will be the main differences really. Maybe some internal tinkering, but as far as I can see, they're pretty similar. Besides, the Standard was the step between the I and the II, having the interchangeable lens thing, but still being a I at heart.

 

[raid]

Ash,
If the Standard was between I and II, then your camera should have been made after mine, but this is not the case here. There may be some special models, as you explained to me, or maybe the serial number tables are not totally binding to Leica.

It seems that in 1935-1936, Leitz produced all three models : Leica I, II, and III.
Mine is one of the 1935 models.

Raid

 

[Ash]

I was thinking in terms of development, rather than construction. The Ic and Standard are practically the same and the II is an improvement on the I.

 

[raid]

I was thinking in terms of development, rather than construction. The Ic and Standard are practically the same and the II is an improvement on the I.

Ash: cameraquest.com does not specify which model (a,b,c) the Leica I is. Where could I read upon the models produced/developed? Thanks.

Raid

 

[Ash]

I was trying to work it out from what I've read about the Ic and Standard from different sources. I think collectors books are the only way to go about the 'truth' for this 🙂

 

[FrankS]

Raid, you should get yourself one of the many Leica reference books. Very informative and you would enjoy it.

 

[Ash]

Ah, here we go:

http://www.ozdoba.net/leica/schraub_hist_e.html

Also,

http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/leica/sm/smid.htm

Maybe this could help too,

http://www.answers.com/topic/leica

 

[raid]

Ah, here we go:

http://www.ozdoba.net/leica/schraub_hist_e.html

Also,

http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/leica/sm/smid.htm

Maybe this could help too,

http://www.answers.com/topic/leica

Ash:Thanks for all your help. Now I "know" that I have a 1c and not a 1C.
The Ic was made in 1949-1952 as shown below:

Leica Ic

1949-1952 The “Standard's” successor. No viewfinder, no rangefinder, no slow speeds, two accessory shoes. Designed for science and documentation



Now I can search for more information on my camera. It looks like described above, but ....

Cameraquest.com puts my camera for production year 1935 based on its serial number. Could it be a Leica I from 1935 that was then modified in 1949-1952 to a Leica Ic? This is so interesting!


Raid

 

[Ash]

Raid, looks like we've hijacked this thread! 😀

It's very interesting indeed, but as people can't escape me posting here, a bunch of you are probably aware of my fake-contax thread. It seems all sorts of modifications were rampant, and I guess Leica was in a strong enough position to modify cameras as they saw fit.

 

[PHOTOEIL]

M3 : 1963
M5 : 1973 and 1974
Summicron 35 : 1979
Summicron 50 : 1966
Tele-Elmarit 90 : 1979

 

[FrankS]

(M5, the best outcast ever made)

I think I agree with you!

 

[raid]

Raid, looks like we've hijacked this thread! 😀

It's very interesting indeed, but as people can't escape me posting here, a bunch of you are probably aware of my fake-contax thread. It seems all sorts of modifications were rampant, and I guess Leica was in a strong enough position to modify cameras as they saw fit.

Ash: Do you mean that this thread is not about our cameras? !!!! 😀
We are simply discussing our vintage Leicas, which should be OK.


Raid

 

[Ash]

In fact, the info will be useful to someone, so we can't be blamed. At least it's not becoming a secret society thing, where we're discussing useful info (like links on Leica History) and not sharing with the rest of the world 🙂

 

[ZorkiKat]

Leica III from 1933, 1935, and 1936;
Leica IIIc from 1943 and 1948
Leica IIIf from 1951 and 1955(?)
Leica IIIg from 1958(?)
and the 'youngest' is a Leica M3 from 1960.

Jay

 

[Ronald M]

Mine are just fifty, 111f and c. Both mint. Both CLA with new shutters. They are good for the rest of my life.